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WITH A PHENOMENALDEBUT, THEFRIGHTNRSHAVE “NOTHINGLEFTTOSAY”

By Colin Dierckins

Rising from the ashes of personal tragedy, The Frightnrs debut albumNothing More to Say, out today on Daptone Records, is a bittersweet
moment for the Queens-based four-piece. Made up of Dan Klein, RichTerrana, and brothers Chuck and Preet Patel, the band formed back in
2011 after Chuck and Dan met at a party and bonded over their love of
vintage reggae and ska music.

Characterizing the last year as trying for the group would be an
understatement. As the band started studio recording their debut
album, Dan began to feel weak and lose his voice often. He was walking
differently and became very skinny. After several doctors visits, he
was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a nervous
system disease that weakens muscle and impacts function.

Undeterred by the setback, the recording process went on, even as
Dan’s condition began to worsen. However, instead of being drained by
his illness, he seemed to be energized by the creative process that
comes with recording music. Dan continued to write and sing, knowing
that his time was limited. Sadly, he was right. Dan Klein succumbed to
his illness in June of 2016, encouraging his bandmates to carry on
without him in his final days.

What shouldn’t be lost in this story is that Frightnrs created an
incredible debut that encapsulates the creative genius of their late
frontman’s storytelling ability. The yearning in Dan’s voice as he
sings lyrics of lost love and past relationships, now serve as a
posthumous double entendre to heartbreak and struggle. It is
tastefully woven with the backing of a rhythm that perfectly captures
the essence of rocksteady Jamaican soul of the 1960s.

The Frightnrs brand of reggae ska/soul is unique for Daptone, a label
that has backed the vintage sounds of groups Sharon Jones and the DapKings, The Menahan Street Band, and Charles Bradley, among others. As
of now, it is unknown if the Frightnrs will tour in support of the
album or what the future iteration of the group will look like. But
for now, Chuck, Preet, and Rich take solace in the fact that their
music with serve as an eerily beautiful testament to their late
friend.